Education Privacy

FPF has produced a checklist to assist parents and schools in considering the “basics” of security standards on new ed tech products and services they may be considering or using. In on-line security, there is unfortunately no “one size fits all” solution, but with so many products and services available, this checklist is designed to provide some initial key triggers of areas that either meet a basic threshold, or might serve as discussion points for further review with the company involved.

We are pleased to announce that we are publishing the FPF Guide to Student Data Protections Under SOPIPA: For K-12 School Administrators and Ed Tech Vendors. Co-written with education privacy experts Linnette Attai of PlayWell LLC, Amelia Vance of the National Association of State Boards of Education, and David B. Rubin, Esq., this document provides a in-depth analysis for ed tech companies.

We are thrilled to welcome Amelia Vance to Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) as of November 7, 2016, as Policy Counsel. In this position, Amelia will lead FPF’s work to ensure the responsible use of student data and education technology in schools, helping educators with resources and information, and seeking inputs from all stakeholders to ensure students succeed.

Washington, DC – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) announced that Amelia Vance has joined the organization as Policy Counsel. Her portfolio includes student privacy for K-12 and Higher Education environments, and education technology initiatives. Vance leads FPF’s work to ensure the responsible use of student data and education technology in schools, helping educators with resources and information, and seeking inputs from all stakeholders to ensure students succeed.

New America released a report today that addresses the use of data in higher ed analytics – predicting student outcomes and managing university academic programs based on prior data. The growing ability to gather and analyze this data allows colleges to intervene with students struggle, put in place mentoring programs, create support structures addressing “whole student” welfare, ultimately improving academic outcomes and graduation rates.

The Student Privacy Pledge was introduced over two years ago by the Future of Privacy Forum and the Software and Information Industry Association. It was endorsed by the White House and published at the forefront of the movement to clarify responsible practices in the collection, protection, and use of student data as the presence of technology in schools expanded. The Pledge has since been signed by more than 300 ed tech companies as a way to help demonstrate their commitment to student privacy.

Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) released, “Supporting Parental Choice for Student Data.” The paper discusses the importance of trusting parents to make the final decision on when and where to share their child’s educational information outside of the school environment.

The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) are pleased to announce that the Student Privacy Pledge has passed a new milestone – over 300 ed tech company signatories. The Pledge is a list of commitments that school service providers can make to affirm that K-12 student information is kept private and secure.

Data has always been an inherent part of the educational process – a child’s age, correlated with her grade level, tracked to specific reading or math skills that align with that grade, measured by grades and tests which rank her according to her peers. Today this data is ever more critical.

Washington, DC – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and ConnectSafely are releasing the Educator’s Guide to Student Data Privacy. Technology tools and applications are changing the way schools and teachers educate students across the country. New resources are making it easier for teachers and students to communicate in and outside of the classroom making learning a 24/7 activity.